Festive Chili Beef with Rice

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup white rice
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 ¼ cups water
• 1 (10 ounce) can red chile sauce
• 1 (8.75 ounce) can sweet corn
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound sirloin, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 (15 ounce) can Mexican-style tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Step 1

Gently heat a bit of oil in a medium saucepan. Toss in the rice and cook it over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it turns a nice golden color—this usually takes about 5 minutes. Next, add half of the chopped onion and green pepper, cooking and stirring for just a minute to soften them up. Pour in the water along with half of the chili sauce, then bring everything to a boil. Stir in the corn, lemon juice, and half a teaspoon of salt. Once it’s boiling, cover the pan and let it simmer gently on low heat for about 20 minutes.

Step 2

While the rice is cooking, heat a skillet and sauté the beef with the remaining onion and green pepper. Cook until the beef is no longer pink and the veggies have softened. Then, add the rest of the chili sauce, tomato sauce, cumin, and another half teaspoon of salt. Let this simmer uncovered for around 15 minutes to let the flavors meld.

Step 3

When the rice is done, spread it out on a serving platter and fluff it up with a fork. Sprinkle some cheese over the rice, then spoon the beef mixture on top. Serve it right away and enjoy!